Do you tinker with old car engines? Do you love spending your spare time restoring old furniture and have found a few willing customers in your neighborhood? Perhaps you’re a keen crafter, who makes things for pleasure, and have been gifting a small number of goods to friends and family. If so, have you considered the value of taking your hobby or small business online?
If you’ve already got the resources and the skill, all you’d need is a little motivation and a dash of technical prowess to launch your business to a wider audience.
Why should you take your hobby business online?
It’s great to earn a little extra cash by doing something you love, and the best thing about setting up your own independent enterprise is that you can decide how much, or how little time you put into the work.
Yet you may find a surprising amount of interest and demand for your goods online. As such, you could benefit from engaging this audience. Not only will this bring further financial payoff, but also increase your self-confidence and develop your talents.
Where should you sell your goods?
You’ll find no shortage of existing e-commerce websites that can support you in your new professional endeavor. For example, Etsy is a fantastic marketplace with close to 33.4 million buyers in 2017. Etsy is often the platform of choice for jewelry, homeware, handmade fashion and collectible pieces. Furthermore, a site like Not On The High Street is for a slightly more developed small business, also dealing in handicrafts and gifts, or even baked goods such as to order biscuits.
However, by using these sites you agree to compete side-by-side with other similar goods and services. Instead, you could consider developing your own website, where you can benefit from being the sole trader. Don’t fear if you have no experience in producing a website or blog, you’ll find plenty of support online. To find the best website builder for you, you should consider how much control you want over the general aesthetic of your website and whether you are happy to pay for a more unique site template.
By whichever means you decide to sell your products online, you should consider the role of social media to drive traffic to your e-commerce page. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest all offer differing benefits. Instagram and Pinterest are image led, and so ideal for sharing photos of beautifully designed goods. Twitter and Facebook involve more copywriting and, as such, are great for sharing written stories and anecdotes about your offer.
When you should launch your online business
There is no time like the present, and certainly if you feel ready to progress with your online enterprise today, then you should act now. Nevertheless, there are certain decisions and factors to consider before jumping in.
Firstly, if you have a full time or part time job at present, you’ll need to think about how your new company will fit into your life. When taking a hobby and making it a business, it will likely require more time and energy than it did previously. To start, you may consider dedicating one day at the weekend, or a couple of evenings a week to build your online offer; creative time management will be key.
With the time you do have available, how many orders can you realistically take on in the space of a month? You’ll find the business stressful and unenjoyable if you end up over-promising your goods by taking on too many orders — remember you started this venture because it was a fun way to make extra money. Keep enjoyment as your key priority.
What if you decide not to take your hobby business online?
If, after much deliberation, you decide that you don’t have the time or the interest in trying to make extra money from your pastime talents, then that’s of course fine too.
Yet if you have a sneaky suspicion you may change your mind in the near future, it’s worth purchasing a custom domain that you can come back to. Some domains cost as little as a couple of dollars for the year, so it’s worth the investment.
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